US, China military chiefs trade barbs at 1st meeting
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has met with Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe amid heightened tensions between the two countries over recent remarks regarding the Taipei regime.
US President Joe Biden stoked tensions when he said in May that Washington would defend Taipei if China were to attack the wayward island.
Two days later, China conducted a military drill near the island.
Speaking at the military leaders' first face-to-face meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialog in Singapore, Austin said that the “US remains committed to our longstanding one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three US-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.”
According to a statement from the Pentagon, Austin also warned his Chinese counterpart that Beijing must “refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan.”
“The Secretary reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Strait, opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo, and called on the PRC [People's Republic of China] to refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan,” according to the statement.
A US defense official present at the meeting told CNN that Austin warned his Chinese counterpart that the People's Liberation Army had become increasingly aggressive, unsafe, and unprofessional in the region.
"Secretary Austin also raised concerns about ... statements by PLA officials that the Taiwan Strait is not international waters. [People's Republic of China] officials have said that multiple times to the United States over the last several months and that's deeply concerning," the US official said. Austin also asked his Chinese counterpart not to provide any material support to Russia, the official added. In China's post-meeting press conference, Senior Col. Wu Qian insisted China had not provided Russia with material support. "China did not provide military assistance to Russia. That is for sure." However, Wu described the meeting, which last nearly an hour, almost twice as long as planned, as having a "good effect." It was "candid' but "positive and constructive," he pointed out. Chinese leaders have repeatedly warned the United States' officials that Taiwan is an inseparable part of the mainland, and Beijing will not hesitate to start a war over the region.
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